Pilgrim said: It's so simple, really! Read the Scriptures. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/read.gif" alt="" /> They refer to THE antichrist as "he" . . . not "it". Secondly, an office cannot hold to dogma; persons only hold to dogma. Thirdly, there are specific "denials" which the Apostle John says THE and the MANY antichrists can be identified by. The "office" is of one, not "many". Fourthly, THE antichrist is referred to as the man of sin who "is to be revealed". Thus how can an existing "office" qualify as that which hasn't been revealed yet and one which is inextricably tied to the end of the "last days"? And lastly, THE antichrist will be cast into the Lake of Fire to suffer eternal torment along with all the other reprobate persons. This cannot be said to be true of an "office".
The use of the definite article in scripture does not necessarily refer to a single person (Dan. 8:23; 2 Tim. 3:17; Matt. 22:21, etc.). The Papists themselves refer to their whole line of Popes as if it were one person.
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THE SCRIPTURAL DOCTRINE OF THE ANTICHRIST By William F. Schink It is objected that the various expressions of II Thess. 2 must necessarily refer to individuals: Man of sin, son of perdition, that Wicked one. But all these expressions may also be understood collectively. The use of the definite article need not mean a single person. It may mean a series of men, a class of people, in fact, it is Scripture usage to designate a whole class of people by the definite singular. Dan. 8:23ff. the Prophet speaks of a king, though it is evident that a whole succession of kings are meant. II Tim. 3:17, a direct parallel to "the man of sin," Paul says: "that the man of God may be perfect." Matt. 22:21: "Render, therefore, unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's." The reference is to the office of Caesar, to all Caesars, to the whole series of Roman emperors or rulers. Gerhard turns the tables completely on papistical exegesis by citing Matt. 16:18 against them. They refer the phrase "on this rock," which was spoken to Peter, to their whole line of Popes. He reminds them that in their church canons, wherever the term "Pope" occurs, the reference is not to a certain individual, but to any scoundrel who may bear that name at that time. Papists say: If the Pope is the Antichrist, there are 200 Antichrists; we answer: If the Pope is the head of the Church, there are 200 heads, 200 bridegrooms.-The very prophecy II Thess. 2 proves that it must refer to a series of persons. Antichrist, Paul says, will not meet his end till Judgment Day. And yet the iniquity was already there in the days of the Apostles; no single person can live as long as that. Paul bases his portrayal and his expressions on Dan. 7-11. There Daniel first describes Antiochus Epiphanes as a type of Antichrist, and in close connection with this description he adds a prophecy of the Antichrist himself, chap. 12. Borrowing from that analogy, Paul here also speaks of the Antichrist as of one person.
